Junzo Kawai, former President of SunTour Japan, has returned to bicycle component manufacturing. He is now the Chairman of a new company, SunXCD, that has now begun production of cranks, hubs, rims and complete wheels. SunXCD (Sun eXCeeD) will soon focus on derailleurs and shifters, much like the SunTour of old.

Under Junzo’s leadership SunTour’s U.S. market share of bicycle drivetrains reached 60% by the mid 80’s. At one time, SunTour derailleurs, shift levers, and freewheels were the favorites of the market. If you came into a bike store in the U.S. with a poor shifting derailleur or a sick freewheel of another brand, the standard repair was to replace it with SunTour.